In a festive atmosphere, last week the Ethiopian prime minister announced the start of electric power generation from the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). The huge hydropower plant on the River Nile has been a source of regional contention – most notably with Egypt and Sudan – since construction began in 2011. Abiy Ahmed said his country wanted to provide energy for 60% of its population “that have never seen a bulb”, before adding in sentimental language, “as well as our mothers who carry firewood for energy”. “The importance of the Renaissance Dam for Ethiopia does not just stem from …

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